Abstract
BACKGROUND: To understand the current status of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of occupational therapy (OT) among healthcare professionals in intensive care unit (ICU) and analyze the influencing factors, to provide reference for nursing managers in developing targeted measures to promote the adoption of OT. METHODS: From January to March 2025, we conducted a cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling among 511 ICU healthcare professionals across 13 cities in Jiangsu Province. Participants completed anonymous online questionnaires, including a general information form and a validated, self-developed Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) questionnaire to OT for ICU healthcare professionals. The KAP instrument comprised three dimensions: knowledge (12 items), attitude (16 items), and practice (14 items). We performed univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression using SPSS 25.0 to identify associated factors. RESULTS: A total of 464 valid questionnaires was received (90.8% response rate). The overall KAP performance showed an average score of 156.58 ± 31.16. Attitudes achieved the highest average score (67.54 ± 10.99), while knowledge showed the lowest (37.88 ± 13.56). Knowledge correlated positively with attitude and practice. Multivariate logistic regression identified age, professional title, ICU experience, hospital level, and OT-related knowledge training as factors influencing ICU healthcare professionals ' KAP levels. CONCLUSION: This KAP survey provides a diagnostic foundation for OT implementation, it indicates that educational training is a necessary, high-impact strategy. However, the negative association with seniority and hospital level indicates that a simple educational strategy may be insufficient; tailored strategies addressing organizational culture, workload, and professional role expectations in those specific contexts will be required. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable (This study did not require registration in a clinical trials registry because it is an observational cross-sectional study).